Hydrocarbon-burner.



a V UNITED STATES Patented June 6, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY B. SOAMMELL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO PLANET MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORA- TION OF MISSOURI.

HYDROC ARBON-BURNE R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 791,822, dated June 6, 1905. Application filed November 28, 1903. Serial No. 182,306;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY B. SOAMMELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydrocarbon-Burners, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in hydrocarbon-burners; and it consists in the novel construction of burner more fully set forth in the Specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal middle vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4: is a horizontal section on line L 4 ofFig. 1.

The present invention is an improvement on the construction of burner covered by United States Letters Patent No. 675,076 (i'ssued to me by assignment) and dated May 28, 1901, and has for its object to qualify and materially simplify the patented construction in particulars better apparent from'a detailed ilescription of the invention, which is as folows.

In order that the particulars in which the patented construction has been qualified may be set forth to the best advantage, it will be convenient in the present description to refer to such parts as substantially correspond with those shown in the patented device by the same terms so far as such terms maybe applicable thereto.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a rigid bar or. bracket coupled atone end to the head 2 of the casing 3 of the main feedvalve 4, its opposite end carrying the valvecasing'5. The valve 4 is of' the ordinary screw type and well known, the hydrocarbon being supplied thereto from the oil-supply pipe or conducting-tube 6, coupled to the head 2 and leading to any source of supply. (Not shown.) Communicating with a lateral passage 7 of the valve-casing 3 is one end of a tube 8, connecting the conductingtube with the central bore of the depending portion of the part 5 and forming a subgenerator, a portion of the tube continuing parallel and adjacent to the bracket 1,' thence passing around the Valve-casing 5, then beyond and in advance of said casing, being formed into a series of coils 8', the tube thence extending from the coils through a suitable stufling-box or gland 9 into the main passage 10 of the valve-casing 5. In the present instance the spindle of the igniting-valve 11 is disposed at an angle to the main passage 10 thereof, the end of the valve-spindle terminating in a needle-point which controls the jet-orifice at the end of a lateral port 10, leading from the main passage 10. The port 10' is formed in a nipple 12, which is wedged in between two adjacent wraps or members of the plural coil 8, the port being substantially in the line of the radius of the coilthat is,

the radius of the circle representing any ring of the coilthis disposition being desirable fora purpose presently to appear. By wedging the nipple 12 between two wraps of the coil the latter becomes more secure in its position, being held in place against displacement in a lateral direction.

The part 5 is adapted to be secured to the body portion 13, which is provided with a central aperture forming a mixing-chamber, the base or depending portion of which is provided with a valve-casing 14 and its upper portion with the main-burner slits 15. The body portion is provided with a bore 16, forming a vaporizing-passage .which extends downwardly and terminates in the port 18, forming a vapor-jet outlet arranged to discharge into the receiving end of the mixing-chamber and controlled by the burner-valve 19. As shown, the centrally-bored depending portion of the part 5 communicates with the bore of the body portion through the passage 17 and receives at its lower end the tube 8, the vapor-jet orifice leading from one side of the centrally-bored portion of the part 5 discharging toward the body portion and the coil portion of the subgenerator, (presently more specifically referred to.) The port 18 is in direct communication with the mouth 20 of the mixing-chamber and in this respect corresponds to the patented construct-ion referred to.

Disposed at the opposite ends of the mouth 20 and extending a suitable distance above and below the mouth and formed integrally with the casting constituting the chamber are Wings 21, deflected toward the coil 8, these wings, forming a shield for the coil, preventing any accidental leaping of the flame from the port 10 toward the port 18 and consequent lighting of the gas issuing from said latter port. The wings likewise constitute an enlarged heating-surface for the burner and also form a guide-wall for the passage of the flame issuing from the port 10, conducting said flame to a point high enough to ignite the gases issuing through the slits 15, an advantage apparent from the description of the operation of the device, which follows: The coils 8 collectively constitute what is termed the subgenerator in the patent aforesaid and perform a like function in the present burner. To start the burner, an ignited match is first applied to the coils 8, (the valve 11 being open and the valves 4 and 19 closed,) the flame of the match heating the walls of the subgenerator to a degree sufficient to vaporize a portion of the liquid hydrocarbon circulating through it. After the match is thus applied the valves 4 and 19 are opened, the liquid hydrocarbon circulating through the coil, as indicated by the plain arrows. The vapor generated within the coils by the heated walls of the subgenerator now escapes through the port or orifice controlled by the needle end of the valve 11, igniting from the flame of the match and prod ueing a blue flame which impinges not only against the subgenerator, but also against the inclined base of the casting constituting the mixing-chamber and thoroughly heating the same. The wings 21 intercept and deflect the flame upwardly, causing the same to ignite the oxygen-laden vapors escaping through the slits 15, the air and gas mixture ascending upward through the mixing-chamber, as indicated by feathered arrows in Fig. 2, it being understood that the vapor thus mixing with the air at the mouth of the mixingchamber issues through the port 18, controlled by the valve 19. When the main burnerthat is, the part in which the slits 15 are formedis once ignited, the valve 11 is soon after forced to its closed position, the parts being by that time suflieiently heated by the subgenerator and by conduction from the flame of the main burner to insure the necessary conversion of the liquid hydrocarbon into vapor by the time it issues through the orifice controlled by the burner-valve 19.

Unlike the patented construction the present device confines the flow of the hydrocarbon-current to a single conduit from the mowhat smaller in cross-section than is that of the passage 10 in the casing 5, Fig. at, so that the liquid is ever free to flow uninterruptedly past this valve after it leaves the subgenerator, flowing thence through passages 17 16 and finally out through the port 18 of the burnervalve 19. Should the flame issuing from the igniting-valve l1 and deflected upwardly by the wings 21 fail to reach the slits 15 for purposes of igniting the main burner, the latter may be ignited by the same match applied initially to the subgenerator, though in practice this necessity will seldom arise.

Under the present construction the ign itingflame is exterior to the subgenerator, and with the inclination given to the spindle of the igniting-valve 11, as shown, the flame issuing therefrom impinges against the body of the coils 8, as is the case of the patented construction, where the orifices are formed on the inner circle of the coils themselves. Naturally the disposition of the axis of the valve 11 radially to the axis of the cylinder formed by the coils 8 collectively gives the best results; but I do not wish to be limited to this precise arrangement, and it is obvious that the axis of this cylinder may form a different angle with the axis of the spindle to that shown. So, too, the subgenerator need not necessarily assume the form of a series of coils, but may be of any other shape, all as clearly obvious to the skilled mechanic. The valve 11 obviously keeps the jet-orifice or igniting-port 10 clean at all times, the needle of the valve removing any dirt that may tend to accumulate therein.

To insure against any possible la )ping of the flame from the igniting-valve around the wings 21 and the possible ignition of the vapor issuing from the valve 19, the wings 21 are preferably provided with a cylindrical draft-shield 22, which is supported on the lips or lugs 21, formed at the outer lower corners of the wings, the walls of the shield 22 being cut away where necessary to straddle such portions of the casting as may be in the way. The shield, too, forms, with the wings 21, two separate compartments or housings for the vapor-jets issuing from the valves 11 and 19, respectively, and no draft can possibly carry the vapor or flame from the one compartment to the other.

In the operation of the lamp the hydrocarbon is of courseinitially converted into vapor in the subgenerator; but when the lamp is once started and in normal operation the heat of the casting constituting the burner and mixing-chamber guffices to effect the conversion into vapor, such conversion taking place anywhere from the point of termination of the coil constituting the subgenerator to the discharge end of the burner-valve, the current always circulating, as indicated by the plain arrows. To start the lamp, the burner- Valve is preferably closed, the igniting-valve opened, and the main feed-valve closed, the match is applied to the subgenerator until the latter is heated, then the feed-valve is opened, after which the burner-valve is opened, (and igniting-valve soon after closed,) the liquid being practically vaporized by the time it reaches said burner-valve.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. Ahydrocarbon-burner comprisingasupply-pipe or conducting-tube, a body portion provided with a central aperture forming a mixing-chamber and with a main burner at the end of said chamber, said body portion having formed therein a bore providinga vaporizing-passage and provided with a vaporjet outlet arranged to discharge into the receiving end of the mixing-chamber, a part ar ranged for attachment to said body portion and provided with a centrally-bored depending portion communicating with the bore of the body portion and having a jet-orifice arranged to discharge toward the body portion, a tube providing a subgenerator arranged adjacent the jet-orifice of said depending portion and establishing communication between the passage of the conducting-tube andv the central bore of the depending portion aforesaid, and valves arranged to control said jet-orifices, substantially as set forth;

2. A hydrocarbon-burner comprising a supply-pipe or conducting-tube, a body portion provided with a central aperture forming a mix-ing-chamber,and with a main burner at the end of said chamber, said body portion having formed therein a bore providing a vaporizing-passage and provided with a vapor-jet outlet arranged to discharge into the receiving end of the mixing-chamber, a part arranged for attachment to said body portion and provided with a centrally-bored depending portion communicating with the bore of the body portion and having a jet-orifice arranged to discharge toward the body portion, means for establishing communication between the conducting-tube and one end of the bore of the depending portion, and wings carried by the body portion for deflecting the flame from the jet-orifice of the depending portion toward the burner and at the same time forming a partition between said jet-orifice and the vapor-jet outlet discharging into the mixing-chamber, substantially as set forth. In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY B. SGAMMELL;- Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, G. L. BELFRY. 

